Toyota 4Runner- Everything You Need To Know | Up To Speed

CLIMBING! TRANSPORTATION! IN MUD! MORE CLIMBING! Since 1984, she's been sailing all over the United States, hauling surfboards, skis, and damn boats. It's a rugged, good-looking machine (like me) that evolved into a great embodiment of high-tech off-road mastery. And the resale value...not bad. This is

everything

you

need

to get up to

speed

with the Toyota 4Runner. Many of our stories begin with the head designer or CEO of a car company having a burst of inspiration. But in this case, the idea filtered from the bottom up. In 1980, Jack Safro, a motivated Wisconsin Toyota dealer, came up with an idea.

This guy had been selling Toyotas since 1967. And let me tell you, he loved that stuff. Toyota trucks? He loved them. Four wheels? I loved them. But Wisconsin is a cold place. Wouldn't it be nice to have all the “SPORTY” capabilities of four-wheel drive, but an enclosed space to keep you, your dogs, and all your other crap warm? You

know

, to get more “UTILITY” out of your “VEHICLE?” Safro contacted Winnebago, which was just a couple of states away, and said, "Hey, Winnebago, if I get some Toyota trucks here, could you put the back ones in?" "YEAH". "We are Winnebago.

We turn cars into houses." So Toyota agreed to the partnership and shipped some basic versions of the Hilux. What gave rise to this new marriage was the “Toyota Trekker”. He's actually... uh... Trekkie. About 1500 Trekkers were sold. They had a rear seat and a storage area, covered by a fiberglass canopy. 1500, although not a huge number, was 100% modified Toyotas. And Toyota says, "Hey, we sold those weird trucks...maybe we'll just make them less 'Winnebago' and more Toyota." "Cut out the middleman, great job, boss. Let me

know

what I have to do." "Dude, my job is not to let you know what to do." "Yeah, sure, totally dude.

Sorry." "I only hired you because you're married to my sister and if you don't improve quickly, I'll have your fucking head off." "That?" "I didn't mean that, I have a lot going on at my house, my son is having problems at school" "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine, man, I'm fine, I'll be fine, I'm fine" "Let's go out to lunch next week or something. I know we don't like hanging out alone, but maybe we should." "That would be very nice." "Wednesday"? "Uh, wait... Yeah, Wednesday works." "Great, I'm looking forward to it." "You know what? Me too." "And brother?" "Yeah?" "That will be fine." "Yes I know." "Alright, let's make our own SUVs..." After some quick R&D and crash testing, the

4runner

was introduced in mid-1984.

It had a fiberglass canopy and 4-wheel drive through a solid front axle. And of course, it had that indestructible inline-4 under the hood. Looks extraordinary. In Japan, the 4Runner was introduced as the “Hilux Surf.” In 1985, (for my birthday), 4Runners had optional electronic fuel injection, which increased power from a measly 100 HP to a whopping 116. One thing is that these cars are not fast. But you don't

need

speed

when you're off-roading! People began to discover that their 4Runners could do almost anything, anywhere! They could withstand wind, snow, rocks and rain. In the blink of an eye, you could disappear into the mountains, like my father.

In 1986, the 4Runner lost the solid front axle to adopt the “Hi-Trac” independent front suspension. The 4Runner was now more comfortable driving on the highway, AND more CAPABLE when driving off-road. These cars were now more agile when used for off-road sports and provided more UTILITY to your VEHICLE. Sports utility vehicle. COME ON!!! It's no coincidence that 1986 is the FIRST time we heard the now ubiquitous term SUV. Broncos and TrailBlazers have been around since the '60s, but it wasn't until the 4Runner that we needed a special class. And during 1986, while Toyota was congratulating itself on improving its already impressive 4Runner, someone popped the hood and noticed that the wider track and independent suspension left a lot of room around that little 4-banger.

So they turbocharged the little monster! That extra space under the hood also allowed designers to include a more powerful 3-liter V6 option in 1987, which would be the only drastic change from the first generation, as a major redesign was coming up in just a couple of years. Spoiler alert. The second-generation 4Runner was introduced in 1989 and featured, yes, a new grille, but it also ditched the fiberglass top for a real metal roof! It's not a modified truck anymore! And while other competitors had rear doors that opened, the 4Runner still let you retract the rear window and use a real rear door to put on your ski boots, load your surfboard or, I don't know, have a picnic on the mountain with that.

Provo girl. I still remember you, Heidi... ♫ I just want to be your favorite boy... ♫ However, times were changing and outdated safety standards for pickup trucks were not up to par with this new category of SUV that the

4runner

helped to create. The second-generation 4Runner earned a driver-impact crash rating of just one star. And unlike the one star I got for my art projects in Mrs. Casey's kindergarten class, a star on crash tests is no good. Then Toyota said, "Hey, did you see?" "Yeah, that sucks, what are we going to do?" "Don't worry, let's give it 5 years and develop a brand new 4 Runner." "But what do we do in the meantime?" "I don't know, pulling like some bars and shit" "Some bars and shit?" "Yeah, buddy, he likes to weld some damn bars and shit." "Ok...you..." "What?" "You want to talk?" "About?" "That night." "We said we'd never talk about it or..." "I know we said I..." "It never happened" "I can't stop thinking about it" "Well, stop" "Stop?" "Arrest!" "Can't!" "What are you saying?" "I might... ...have to do something." "If you do, I swear to God I will fire you from Toyota." "You would not do that." So in 1991, they launched a complete 5-year redesign for the 3rd generation 4Runner.

It had more cargo space and a more aerodynamic appearance. Inside, however, the 4Runner was more luxury-oriented, further distancing itself from more basic competitors. Oh, and there was an electric locking system for the rear differential. Which in simple terms means: it is good to lock the rear differential. ELECTRONICALLY. The 4 Runner was once again changing the landscape of the SUV market. It was the Accutane of the SUV market. And sales increased further thanks to the “Limited” and “Highlander” packages available beginning in 1999, which exploited the appeal of combining rugged durability and functionality with a luxurious interior. The Fourth Generation once again remained faithful to the aesthetics of its predecessors, which was now called a “mid-size, semi-luxury SUV with off-road capabilities.” The 4Runner ditched the 4-cylinder engine and was now available with a V6 or, for the first time, a V8.

These things generated more power to tow his boat to Lake Havasu. They still feel perfect for transporting your board to the beach and can still carry your gear comfortably through the woods. The SUV class now described large vehicles regardless of their off-road capability, but the 4Runner stayed true to its functional origins. The new 4Runners had auto leveling, height adjustable air suspension and damn skid plates... ...STOCK! Toyota is going out of its way to ensure that the 4Runner isn't just about hauling kids to soccer practice, but about hauling kids to soccer practice on top of a damn mountain!

The fifth-generation 4Runner was introduced in September 2009 at the Texas State Fair. "YES HAW! Did you see that new 4 Runner? Pretty good, luxurious and capable! I define barbecue by beef brisket and beef ribs!" The limited version was now available in 2wd, because, yes, people who didn't need four-wheel drive were buying the 4Runner because it looks great and drives great. The SUV, established more than 20 years ago, was now the number one selling car class. From the moment it replaced the Frankenstein offspring of a Winnebago-Toyota marriage, the 4Runner has set the standard for aesthetics and functionality in the SUV class.

Head up into the mountains and you'll see 30-year-old 4 Runner taking corners with his hipper brother. It is an attractive and functional vehicle that is comfortable on any terrain and ever. Damned. Brakes. Thanks to Audible for sponsoring this video. Audible has almost any book you want. Right now I'm reading "How to Drive" Narrated by Ben Collins. Sounds like an angel and drives like a demon. He's the stig! Sometimes I just like to hear his voice before I fall asleep. Hello Ben! Audible allows you to seamlessly switch between devices. Picking up exactly where you left off. Whether on your phone, tablet, car, or at home with an Amazon Echo.

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We're starting to get into trucks and stuff. What other trucks are cool? Send me a dollar, I still want the Lambo. As always, like, subscribe, comment and share. We love talking to you, I really appreciate that you like talking to us. I love them! Dad? I haven't seen you since Christmas.